Pocket-lighter.



No. 645,456. Patented Mar. l3, moo.-

- 0. M. CAMPBELL.

POCKET LIGHTER.

(Application filed Dec. '7, 1899.x

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NITED STATES PATENT FFIQ.

.POCKET-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,456, dated March13, 1900.

Application filed December 7,1899. Serial No- 739,561. (No model.)

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Lighters andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe i11vention,such as will enable others skilled in the-art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a para of this specification.

"With the increasing use of matches it becomes very desirable that somemeans be provided whereby they can be conveniently carried in the pocketand lighted when needed. The usual wooden match takes up so much roomthat a case containing very many of 'them cannot be carriedconveniently, and the use of a strip of material 'provided with smalltablets of fulminate requires the use of a wick or other auxiliaryburner, owing to the small amount of material that can possibly bestored in the tablets. To avoid these objec tions, resorthas been had toa match of globular or other self-contained form ,man y of which can beeasily stored in a receptacle so small that it can be convenientlycarried in the pocket; but in the use of matches of this character,which may vary from a perfect globe or sphere to a greater or lessextent and which I shall call pellet-shaped, there are at least threeconditions which must be complied with to renderthe article a success.The match, when ignited, must be completely isolated from itscompanions, it must be rig idly held exteriorly of the receptacle, andit must contain within itself enough material to furnish alight toanswer the purpose for which it is needed. Y r

The object of my invention is to produce a receptacle for suchself-contained pellet or other shaped matches as will be of convenientsize and shape for'use and which can be easily replenishedand'which willhold each match practically in the open air separate from its fellowswhile burning and from which holder the ashes can be easily removed't'ter the match has been consumed. A

In carrying out my invention I have found that the same can be embodiedin several forms of receptacles, all of which, however, have the samegeneral characteristics as enumerated above.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numeralsindicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur,Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of one form of my improvedpocket-lighter, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the dischargeend of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said end. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal sectional view of another form of my invention, and Figs.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18, and 19 are detailviews of other forms of the end of the conduit and the holder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the receptacle,which may be of any desired shape or form. Extending from some portionof the receptacle is a conduit or conductor 2, at the outer end of whichis located a holder 3. The holder is preferably formed of prongs orfingers a, which approach each other at the tips sufficiently to engagewith and prevent the escape of the match 5 after it has been placedtherein, yet far enough apart to permit of a free circulation of airupon all sides of the match to insure its perfect combustion afterit hasbeen ignited and which will'permit of the ashes being blown or shakenoff after the match has been consumed. If desired, the arms or prongsmay be made slightly elastic, so as to hold the match with a yieldinggrip, and they may be provided with a sharpened point at the end toenter the surface of the match and hold it firmly against accidentaldisplacement when it is being rubbed against a roughened surface.

Located directly to the rear of the prongs is a shield 6, which may beformed by a sliding gate, between which and the tips of the prongs thematch is securely held while being used. The shield may be made of twooppositely-located gates 7, which pass through slots 8 in the sides ofthe conduit and meet substantially midway thereof, thus preventing theflame from the burning match being communicated to the remaining matchesin the conduit. To further guard against the passage of the flame, themeeting edges of the two gates may be beveled, as shown at 9, so as tooverlap each other and make a tortuous passage between them throughwhich it would beimpossible for the flames to pass. The gates or slidesare normally held out of the conduit by springs 10, so as to notobstruct the passage of a match from the receptacle to the holder. henitis desired to close the conduit, pressure is applied to the springs bythe fingers of the operator and held inward until the lighted match hasbeen consumed. When the gate is closed behinda match, it will bear uponits surface and slightly press it into the holder, thereby rendering itmore difficult for the match to rotate while it is being drawn over aroughened surface to ignite it.

Instead of separate springs being provided for the gates the gate may beformed integrally with the spring, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, bybending the end of the spring at an angle thereto, and instead of therebeing two gates or slides one may be used to move entirely across theconduit, as shown at 11, or to rotate within the conduit, as shown at12.

The gate 11 is seated within a channel or slot 13 in the side of theconduit and is provided with a handle 14, by means of which it is swungback and forth on its pivot 15. A spring 16 is seated Within the slot toreturn the gate to its normal position outside of the channel'throughthe conduit when it is released from the finger of the operator.

The rotary form of gate may be solid and provided with a transversepassage or opening 17, or it may be in the form ofa segment of acylinder 18, either form of which is seated in a recess 19 in the wallof the conduitin position to permit the passage of a match to the holderwhen open or in its normal position, but closing the passage whenpartially rotated. One means of rotating the gate is a wing 20, securedto a projection 21 at one end of the gate, and a spring 22, whichreturns the wing to its normal position against a stop or pin 23 afterit has been released from the finger of the operator. Where thesegmental gate is used, it is preferably secured at its ends to disks24, which fit within the recess 19 and one of which may be provided withthe projection 21. Another means for rotating the gate is a spiral 25,one end of which may be movably connected with the wall of the conduitand with the gate, as shown in Fig. 13, orbe rigidly secured at one endto the conduit and movable in the end of the gate, as shown in Fig. 14.In either instance a cap 26 is provided which will remain stationaryunder the pressure of the thumb or finger of the operator while-thespiral or gate rotates, and a spring 27 is also provided for returningthe parts to their normal position. there the spiral is movable, itsinner end is made flat or straight, as at 29, which fits loosely in asocket 230 in the end of the gate, while the outer or spiral portionpasses through a corresponding slot 31. A plate 32 covers the end of therecess through which the gate is match at a time.

introduced, and a screw 33 holds it in position. Where the spiral isstationary, the gate is preferably solid, with a slot 34 in one end, inaddition to the transverse channel or opening 17, into which the spiralis projected when the gate is forced inward by pressure upon its outerend. As the longitudinal movement of the gate will cause the-location ofthe passage 17 to vary relatively to the passage through the conduit, itis necessary tochange the axes of the two portions of the passage-way tocorrespond, as shown in Fig. 14. Still another form of mechanism forrotating the gate is shown in Figs. 15 and 16, in one of which the gateis provided with a spiral groove 35, into which a pin 36 projects, whilein the other one the groove is in the conduit and the pin is in thegate.

Instead of forming the gate and holder separate they may be formedintegrally, as shown in Figs. 17, 18, and 19, in which they are shown asa rotary cap 37, which is held on the end of the conduit by means of abead 3S and groove 39. The cap is provided with an opening 40, whichregisters with the end of the passage in the conduit when in its normalposition, but which maybe moved to one side of it when the cap isrotated, owing to the fact that the opening and the passage are locatedeccentrically to the axis of the conduit. The cap is rotated by means ofa wing 41 and is returned to its normal position by means of aspring 42.Secured to or forming a part of the cap around the opening is a holder43, which may be solid-Walled or open, as desired, and which is of sucha depth that when a match h'as'partially entered by gravity through theconduit the rotation of the gate will force the match against the end ofthe conduit, and thereby force it out into the holder,where it-remainsuntil it has been consumed.

My invention may also be embodied in the form of receptacle shown inFig. 4, in which the gate 44 is located within the conduit 45 andmovable longitudinally therein by means of a handle 46, which projectsthrough a slot 47 in the side of the receptacle. Instead of the handle46 the end of the gate may be prolonged or provided with a handle .48,as shown in dotted lines, which projectsthrough the end of thereceptacle or through the cap or stopper 49, by means of which thereceptacle is replenished or emptied, as desired. A spring 50 returnsthe gate or plunger 44 to its normal position after use. The matchesen-' ter the conduit, which is located almost enti rely within thereceptacle, through an opening 51, near the front of the receptacle, inposition to be pushed into the holder beyond the wall of the receptacleby the forward movement of thegate or plunger. A spring 52 prevents theentrance of more than one A spiral guide 53 is preferably provided toguidethe matches into the conduit, and a guard 54 is preferablyprovided, within whichthe handle 46'is located.

In the other forms of receptacle the mouth or entrance to the conduit ispreferably flared or made hopper-shaped to cause the pellets to enterone after the other.

In using my pocket-lighter the receptacle is filled with thepellet-shaped matches through the opening for that purpose. Thereceptacle is then held so that a match will pass into the conduit infront of the gate, which is then closed by pressure from the finger ofthe operator. As soon as this has been done the match, which is causedto project beyond the holder a slight distance, is drawn against asuitable surface, which will cause it to be ignited. The gate is stillheld in its closed position and the flame from the burning match isapplied where it is needed. As soon as the match has been consumed orits further use is not needed it can be blown or shaken out of theholder. The gate is then opened and another match takes its place readyfor use.

By constructing the holderexteriorlyof the receptacle the match isconsumed in the open airthat is, the air has free access to it. It isalso held rigidly when being ignited, which will prevent its beingthrown out of the holder, and by cutting off communication between itand the remaining matches all danger of setting fire to the entirecontents of the receptacle is avoided.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A pocket-lighter comprising areceptacle provided with an exterior, normally-unobstructed conduit, theouter end of which is provided with means for holding a pellet shapedmatch before and during ignition and with means for closing said conduitto separate the forward match from its fellows.

2. A pocket-lighter comprising a receptacle provided with an exteriorconduit in continuous communication therewith, the outer end of which isprovided with means for rigidly holdinga pellet-shaped match before andduring ignition, and means for separating the forward match from itsfellows.

3. A pocket-lighter comprisinga receptacle provided with a conduit, theouter end of which is provided with a holder for a pelletshaped match,and a gate within the conduit for separating said match from its fellowsbefore and during ignition.

4:. A pocket-lighter comprising a receptacle provided with a conduit,the outer end of which is provided with a holder for a pelletshapedmatch before ignition, and a gate for engaging with said match andforcing it into the holder and separating it from its fellows. 5. Apocket-lighter comprising a receptacle which is perforated and providedwith a holder externally thereof, said holder being in communicationwith the interior of the receptacle through said opening, a cut-offclosing the entrance to the holder, and means exteriorly of thereceptacle for operating the cut-0E.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES M. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

W. S. BOYD, G. W. BALLooH.

